Music News

Veteran pianist, educator, and musical pioneer Dick Hyman has graced us with his presence this week, including a master class, rehearsals, and a stellar performance at the Jazz at the Sandbar with combos led by Steve Masakowski and Dwight Fitch, Jr. Jazz at the Sandbar resumes April 8 after the Easter break with drummer Paul Wiltgen.

The 2015-16 Musical Excursions concert series closed out Tuesday night, March 24 with a wonderful performance by the VIDA Guitar Quartet from the United Kingdom. VIDA was pure fun, and their energetic and well-executed interpretations of "Rhapsody in Blue" and other works were well received. We hope they return soon! Check out their Facebook posts, with links to recordings from the show. https://www.facebook.com/VIDAGuitarQuartet?fref=ts

Composer Stewart Wallace, perhaps best known for his opera "Harvey Milk" and for his collaborations with artists ranging from Marc Ribot to Amy Tan, spent Monday afternoon discussing his work and the creative process with UNO music students.

The 2015 Spring Jazz at the Sandbar season is hopping Wednesdays through the end of the semester. Here we see guest star Aurora Nealand with members of Matt Perrine's New Orleans music ensemble and John Perkins and other members of Ricky Sebastian's combo performing with legendary bassist and UNO adjunct professor Roland Guerin.

Members of the Dosti Music Project spent a recent afternoon at UNO discussing their project with Found Sound Nation and cultural collaboration with UNO Music students. The Dosti Music Project includes fellows from India, Pakistan, and the United States; this year's group includes New Orleans saxophonist and bandleader Aurora Nealand. Learn more about the Dosti Music Project here. http://dostimusic.org/

The jazz community is mourning the loss of trumpeter Lew Soloff, who passed away March 8 at the age of 71. Lew Soloff performed and gave master classes at UNO in the spring of 2014 as part of our Jazz at the Sandbar series. He is shown here with student Albert Allenback. Soloff is perhaps best known as a member of Blood, Sweat and Tears, but he performed with a stunning variety of musicians over his 50-year career, including; Gil Evans, Frank Sinatra, Carla Bley, Barbra Streisand, Machito, Marianne Faithfull, Paul Shaffer, Manhattan Brass, Jon Faddis and Ornette Coleman.

The UNO Department of Music will be hopping this spring with 26 student recitals, three major Musical Excursion concerts, and an eight-show Jazz at the Sandbar series each Wednesday in March and April in the Cove. All performances are free to students; most are free to the public. Check the UNO Music calendar for general details. Click on the link for Musical Excursions or Jazz at the Sandbar for specifics on those shows. We look forward to seeing you there! If you have further questions call 504-280-6381.